By Marco Blei, Counsel | Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale On May 2, 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) delivered a decision on the protection of geographical indications, clarifying that using figurative signs evoking the geographical area to which a protected designation of origin (“PDO”) is linked may constitute an unlawful evocation of the latter. The ruling followed a request for a preliminary ruling that was made in the proceedings pending before the Supreme Court of Spain...

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By Josephine Jay | Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati On June 20, 2019, the UK's Data Protection Authority (ICO) published a report on adtech and real-time bidding. The report highlights the main problems faced by the industry when applying the General Data Protection Regulation's (GDPR's) stringent requirements, and calls for further engagement on these issues by the different adtech players in the space. Background When the GDPR became effective on May 25, 2018, it imposed new and strict obligations on companies processing...

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Leading the charge and embracing the modern, digital economy, the Netherlands is thriving. The country has a world-class infrastructure, highly skilled workforce and excellent quality of life, putting it at the heart of the global supply chain and making it a desirable location for growing businesses. HSBC has been operating from its branch in Amsterdam since 1999, initially as a global liquidity and cash management office, before expanding in 2011 to offer a full range of banking services to our corporate...

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The Toy Association testified on June 24, 2019 at the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 Committee hearing regarding proposed tariffs on approximately $300 billion in Chinese products, including toys. Delivered by Rebecca Mond, the Association’s vice president of federal government affairs, the testimony outlined the significant harm and devastating impact that tariffs would have on the U.S. toy industry, their workers, and consumers, and formally requested the removal of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code 9503.00.000 (the tariff line under...

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By Jose Luis Villareal | Holland & Knight Higlights: The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was signed by the participating countries on Nov. 30, 2018, and has been ratified by the Mexican Senate, but there is no full certainty as to when the agreement will take effect or whether it will be ratified by all its parties, including both the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament. The USMCA reflects the concern of properly protecting intellectual property (IP) rights in all jurisdictions. Although...

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Ireland’s prosperous economy, highly skilled workforce and position as a gateway to the European Union has made it a hub for the operations of thousands of multinational businesses. It’s also home to some of the biggest names in tech, financial services and the pharmaceutical industries. Ireland now boasts one of Europe’s strongest-performing economies. HSBC has been operating in Ireland since 1979 and is now one of the country’s leading international banks. Over the last 40 years, we have continued to provide...

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The EACC, in partnership with the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI), wants to keep its members up to date with the latest developments in property taxes in the USA and Europe. IPTI has put together a selection of brief reports from articles contained in IPTI Xtracts which can be found on its website (www.ipti.org). USA Pennsylvania: Trial opens in one of Philly’s largest-ever assessment appeal cases, with $63 million at stake Assessors “deliberately chose to single out” some of the city’s most-prominent...

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By  David Bassuk & Joel Bines | AlixPartners US core retail sales grew 0.5% in May after an upwardly revised 0.3% rise in April1. Building materials and garden equipment sales were up 0.1%, while online and mail-order purchases lifted 1.4%. Sales at clothing stores were unchanged and those at furniture stores edged up 0.1%. Sales at electronics and appliance stores rose 1.1% 2. Continuing growth in retail sales is a good indicator that trade worries have not yet made a full...

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By Charlotte Cruickshank, Executive Director | OCORIAN With research suggesting that even in 2019, many companies have unprotected data and operate poor cybersecurity practices, Executive Director Charlotte Cruickshank examines the trends emphasising the importance of choosing a financial services provider that budgets, safeguards and educates staff against the latest threats. As tech continues to evolve, so does the sophistication of cybercrime. In recent years, the actions of cybercriminals have intensified and the scale of their operations has been thrust into...

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